Dreamer In The Silence (Narnia)
by raindrops-and-dreams
Summary: Narnia was only a story. Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy were simply lost children. Narnia was just Alice's childhood story, it wasn't real, it wasn't meant to be real. But what if it was? Lots of family feels and cuteness
1. Characters

Keira Knightley as Alice Castaire

William Moseley as Peter Pevensie

Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie

Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie

Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie

Ben Barnes as Caspian X

Liam Neeson as Aslan


	2. Playlist

"Back when I was child,

Before life removed all innocence,

My mother would hold me tight.

And tell me that I was her true best friend.

Take hold of my hand when I had fears,

And help me face them right through the years."

-Dance With My Mother by Georgia Box (Rewrite Cover)

* * *

"I've never been confronted with my own thoughts,

They don't bother me when I'm alone.

Can you come over? Save me 'cause he won't stop.

Now get him off his fucking throne."

-He's Hurting Me by Maria Mena

* * *

"Hung my head as I lost the war,

And the sky turned black like a perfect storm.

Rain came pouring down when I was drowning,

That's when I could finally breathe

And by morning gone was any trace of you,

I think I am finally clean."

-Clean by Taylor Swift (Jada Facer Cover)

* * *

"All you can do is try to know who your friends are

As you head off to the war.

Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light.

You'll come back when it's over,

No need to say goodbye."

-The Call by Regina Spector

* * *

"It's not time to make a change,

Just relax, take it easy,

You're still young, that's your fault

There's so much you have to know."

-Father And Son by Cat Stevens

* * *

"I'm not good at reading minds,

Cause I think that mine is lost.

I'm not good at reading signs,

I just roll right through the stop.

I just need a word so I know,

You know I am still here."

-Just Say by Extreme Music

* * *

"I'm waking up at the start of the end of the world,

But its feeling just like every other morning before,

Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone,

The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour

And I started staring at the passengers who're waving goodbye

Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?"

-How Far We've Come by Matchbox 20

* * *

"Let every hope and dream,

Be born in love again.

Let all the world sing with one voice,

Let the people say Amen."

-Millennium Prayer by Cliff Richard

* * *

"I wouldn't leave you,

I would hold you,

When the last day comes.

What if you need me,

Won't you hold me,

On the last day, our last day."

-Willow by Jasmine Thompson

* * *

"'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone,

Is where you go when you're alone,

Is where you go to rest your bones.

It's not just where you lay your head,

It's not just where you make your bed,

As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?

Home."

-Home by Gabrielle Aplin


	3. Chapter 1

_"Aslan?" Lucy whispers softly, eyebrows furrowed at the sight before her. One moment she was home, asleep; but now she stood here, gapping at the sight before her. The cerulean blue sea glimmering and shining in the warmth of the burning sun. The trees sway in the gentle breeze, a pallet of greens painted across the shore. The air itself felt, to her, like magic._

 _"Welcome Kings and Queens of Narnia." The powerful voice of the great lion rumbles through their very souls._

 _"Aslan?" Peter tentatively asks, "I- I thought we weren't returning to Narnia. Is something wrong?" Tension runs through his muscles, the awareness of a warrior enhancing upon his return to the magical place._

 _"No, Peter," Aslan calms the young king. "You have been through much, my young friends, and, in honour of your faith, kindness, and courage, I feel it only right to give you the offer you now face."_

 _"What- What offer?" The inquisitive Susan asks._

 _"Whether you wish to stay in Narnia. Understand, dear ones, that if you choose to remain, you may never leave. You will age as Narnians do." The Great Lion announces._

 _"So, I'll be nineteen, for hundreds of years, before I turn 20?" Edmund puzzles over his thoughts._

 _"Yes, Edmund." Aslan, watched the young adults' thoughts. "But if you choose to leave now, you shall not return." His tone grave as he speaks._

 _"What about Jane?" Susan exclaims, 'She is not here! With mother and father de- with them gone she only has us. Who would look after her? Raise her if we are not there?" Susan panics._

 _"Can't- can't she come here Aslan? She could stay with us." Lucy interrupts, hope gleaming in her eyes._

 _Aslan shakes his head with sadness, "I am sorry, little one, she must stay in your world."_

 _"But- but she's our sister. She's only a baby." Lucy whispers brokenly, her bottom lip shaking as she fights away the tears._

 _"Do not despair, for her life shall be a joyous affair. Young Jane has a destiny awaiting her. She will be well looked after, even without you there." The lion nudges his head gently against Lucy's shoulder._

 _The Pevensies discuss their limitted options, waying advantage to disadvantage, spinning arguments, and whispering shouting matches, until finally, finally they make a decision._

 _Peter steps forward to Aslan, looking him straight in the eye, "We'll stay."_

 _Eustace often wondered about the disappearance of his cousins, wondered if their disappearance was due to the special world of Narnia. In their honour, he raised their youngest sister, keeping her away from snotty relatives, and allowing her imagination to run free. He smiled down at Jane softly, as he tucked her into bed. As was their norm, he began to tell her stories, stories of Narnia, of her siblings. But, as she grew, that is all it became for her. Because, for Jane Pevensie, Narnia was never real._

* * *

The winter air that whirled through London was especially brutal on the winter's day on which our tale _truly_ begins. Schools were closed due the the blanket of heavy snow, few people were out, unwilling to face the bitter cold. But, alas, none of this could ever stop the young girl in which our story revolves around.

Stumbling, and tripping and skidding she slowly made her way towards the house. Her raven hair whipped around her, whilst her chocolate eyes began to water, her nose and cheeks were glowing a bright red due to the nip of the wind. It wasn't a pretty, quaint house, or cottage in the countryside, as she had always dreamt of. No, it was a greying London town house. Large and spacious, and clearly belonging to the of wealth, but also cold looking on the outside.

The younge adult pulled at the stiff door, wrestling with it against the wind. Once she had finally closed the bothersome door she quickly stripped of her large coat, and boots. Running through the house and up the stairs, she flew to the room that contained the one person she wanted to see. In the process of this, she almost took out two cleaners, the buttler and the carer. Slowly she slipped in to the room, sliding herself into the chair by the bed.

"Hey, grandma." She smiled softly at the frail woman residing in the bed. At 63 years of age Jane Pevensie should still have a good many years to live, but it was not to be. After the unfortunate death of her husband the year prior, her own health had rapidly deteriorated, the docors explaining that throat cancer was battling against her body. At this stage they claimed her death could be at anytime, and to 'be prepared.' As if one could ever prepare for the death of a loved one.

"Alice." Jane smiled at her only grandchild, the daughter of her once lovely, but now harsh son, and his beautiful late wife, and now step-daughter to that witch her son had married. The grandmother and granddaughter were a closer pair than many people could be, and so they talked idly for hours, postponing the inevitable departure, one that both knew was likely to be the last.

As the sky grew dark, Jane grapsed Alice's hands in her own. "These," she placed three pictures in Alice's hands, "Were my childhood," She pointed at four children in one pictures, "These were my siblings, I don'tremember them, but my cousin, Eustace-" She pointed at the boy in another picture, arm wrapped round a small girl that was clearly Jane. "Told me stories of them. The Narnia stories are based off of them." A grin spread across Alice's face at the thought of her favourite childhood stories. "And this," Her grandma pointed at the last picture, a very young Jane and an equally young boy grinning widely, "Was my best friend in the whole world-"

"Grandpa." Alice smiled sadly at the picture.

"Yes, my dearest Albert." Jane said smiling at the picture. "I want you to keep these safe for me." Jane smiled. "You'd best be heading home now, it's growing late." Alice frowned, but conceded and soon a tearful goodbye ensued.

As Alice pulled her grandmother's bedroom door open, a last sentence stalled her, "Do not be sad for me, Alice. I get to see my closest friend, and dearest love again." Jane smiled.

"I love you." Alice whispered, glancing back over her shoulder.

"And I love you." Jane replied. With that Alice left.

* * *

Alice was never ashamed to admit she'd cried. She cried at the funeral, she cried whist reading the eulogy, she cried once she'd returned home. God, did she cry. But still she got back up, pulled herself together, and, after that, redused to let sadness take hold. Her grandma wanted her happy, for she herself was happy with her love, and, so, happy Alice would try to be.

Alice lived her life by a very easy complexed thought: If one is happy then they can be more accepting of others, if one is more accepting of others they offer them kindness, if one is kind then the world is made into a slightly better place. By this philosophy Alice lived. It is why she never once complained of her father's second marriage, never complained how her step-mother treated her, never once did she fight back. Until the day she did.

"That necklace," Sasha Edgimore pointed to Alice's locket. "Give it to me."

Alice's eyes widened slightly, hand floating up to the locket, "No." She breathed.

"No?" Her step-mother's shrill voice demanded. "What do you mean _no?"_

"Grandpa gave it to me-" Alice attempted to defend.

"Give it to me, you little bitch!" Sasha shouted, snatching at it. Alice stumbled backwards, promptly falling to the floor with a loud bang.

"What is going on?" The emotionless voice of David Castaire demanded, stalking into the room. He stood next to his wife, who's claw like fake nails (not that her nails were all that were fake about her- only the beginning really) clung to David's suit.

"She stole my necklace!" Sasha's screechy voice accused, as Alice rose to her feet.

"I did not!" Alice gasped.

Glaring at Alice, David commanded, "Give your mother her nacklace, Alice."

Alice gaped at him, "No! She-"

"Now, Alice." His voice rose slightly, his shoulders full of tension.

"It's mine! Grandpa-" Her pleas were cut off.

"I won't have a thief in this house. Give. It. Back." He pronounced with anger.

"She's lying!" A sharp stinging burst across Alice's face as her father's slap snapped her head to the side.

"Your mother would not lie. Stop this nonsense and return her necklace." Alice turned her tearful eyes to meet her father's cold ones.

"She is _not_ my _mother._ " Alice whispered brokenly, tears chilling and marring her cheeks. She sprinted from the house.

* * *

Once she could no longer run, she stopped to heave deep breaths. The forest was one that surrounded her new house, in Devon. Her father had relocated them from London immediately after her grandmother's death. She glanced around the trees slowly, chills pricking at her skin. Snap! A sharp sound resonated.

"H-h-hello?" She called tentatively, slowly moving further through the forest, "Is someone there?" She looked through the trees. The ground shifted beneath her, causing her to gasp, and quickly look down. Her eyes widened at the sight of the earth cracking, her body jerked to step, but, suddenly, the ground was no longer beneath her.

And that is how Alice fell down the rabbit whole...


	4. Chapter 2

Light. Trickling light dancing across her eyelids and painting rainbow dots across her vision. 'Is that what woke me?' Alice thought to herself. Thumping drums sounded through her head as incoherent noise blared through her ears. 'No. Not incoherent. Are those- Are those voices?' Alice's thoughts startled her into blinking her eyes open (then immediately shutting them due to the sun's glaring light.) The shouting abruptly stopped as Alice's sat up with a groan. She was in a forest, 'But not the same forest.' She thought. She's not sure how she knew, but it just _felt_ different.

A figure crouched in front of Alice, knocking her from her thoughts and causing her to flinch back, across the forest ground. Staring at the man, Alice's eyebrows furrowed. He seemed young, perhaps in his early twenties. His hair was a honey gold and his eyes were a sparkling blue. Behind him were two dark haired men, and behind the men (who were tense and ready for an attack) were two dark haired women (whom happened to be peaking around and over the men's shoulders) Oddly she felt as if she'd seen them before- well _most_ of them.

"Are you alright, miss?" He inquired with a gentle smile. She tore her stare away from the others. Eyes wide and mouth gaping she nodded. "What's your name?" He urged.

"Alice." Her voice was quiet, "Uh, where am I?" She looked around the green forest.

"Well," He shared a look with the others, "We're in a land called Narnia, it's-"

"Narnia!" She exclaims cutting him off.

"Yes. Have you been here before?" One of the girls inquired, but was quickly drowned out by Alice's panicking.

Alice scrambled to her feet as she started thinking allowed, "Narnia! I cant be in Narnia! It doesnt exist! It's just a story! I fell! Hit my head! Oh god! What if I'm in a coma? This can't be happening! Narnia isn't real! This doesn't happen! And-" Her voice cuts off as she properly looks at them, a gasp leaving her lips. "And you look just like them." She whispered minutely, as she stared.

"Like who?" The same women inquired. Alice merely stared at them, her expression most likely very comical.

"How about we introduce ourselves." The honey blond suggested, giving his siblings a side look. "I am High King Peter." He held out his hand. Alice tentatively shook it.

"King Caspian X." Introduced the tanned man she didn't recognise. She didn't recognise his face but that name, it was certainly one she knew.

"King Edmund." The other man's voice rumbled.

"Queen Susan." Said the women whom had stepped out from behind Edmund.

"Queen Lucy." Was the last introduction from the woman who'd questioned her.

Alice knew she should deny their existence, tell them this joke wasn't funny (and how did they know the stories anyway; only Great-Uncle Eustace, Grandma, Grandpa, Mum, Dad and herself knew the stories- four of whom were dead, her father never spoke of the stories after her mum's death, and Alice had never told anyone). Alice knew she should tell them that this was a cruel joke, but instead two words slipped from her mouth, in a low whisper: "I know."

The five tensed again, distrustful as they eyed her. "What do you mean _you know?"_ Edmund attempted to analyse her.

"You were meant to just be stories. You look just like the picture." She whispered in awe.

"Picture? What picture?" Susan demanded.

Automatically Alice reached into the back pocket of her jeans. She flicked through the pile until she drew out the right one. "This picture." She said, holding it out to them.

Edmund took it, as the five royals crowded around the small square. Caspian grew confused whilst the others stared. Susan carefully traced the picture with her finger. Snapping her head up, she demanded, "Where did you get this?"

A sad half-smile graced Alice's lips, "It was my grandma's."

"Your grandma?" Susan asked softly.

"Jane Pevensie." Alice declared.

The four Pevensies gravitated slightly closer to Alice.

"How is Jane?" Peter's first question was emotional for them all, apart from Caspian, whom had drifted into the background, deciding to watch.

"She died 6 months ago. Throat cancer." A wave of sadness flushed through the group. After minutes of silence Alice spoke, again, "She didn't want anyone to be sad though. She's with grandpa now."

They stared for a moment longer before Peter continued, "You said about stories?"

A genuine smile spread across Alice's face, "Yeah! Uncle Eustace's stories. He told them to grandma when she was young, and they both told them to me!"

"Eustace?" Edmund asked with a grin.

Alice nodded, "He raised Grandma."

"How is he?" Lucy winced at her own question.

Another sad smile flittered along Alice's face, "He died too, of old age. It was peaceful, in his sleep. He had a happy life." Alice attempted to reassure.

The Pevensies frowned again. Alice pulled out her pictures again, and stood between them, "Here." She showed them, flicking through the small stack she always kept on her. There were her grandmother's three pictures, one of Eustace, and his wife Prue's wedding, and another of them when they were around 70, in similarity there was one of her grandparent's wedding and one from when they were 60, then her parents wedding, her mother, father and her as a baby, a family photo with Eustace, Prue, her grandparents and her parents, then a picture from every christmas, minus the last.

* * *

By the end the of the stack of pictures (and many stories) the Pevensies were in much brighter spirits. With all the pictures returned to Alice the true interrogation started.

"So, Alice, how old are you?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"Uh 19." Alice responded.

"That's Edmund's age! Technically." Lucy exclaimed with a bright grin.

"Technically?" Alice confusedly asked.

"We age as Narnians do, so Edmund is mentally and physically 19, but he's been 19 for a _very_ long time." Lucy shrugged happily.

"Oh, so how (technically) old are the rest of you?" Alice questioned; accepting the notion, that one could be 19 for more than simply a year, rather quickly.

"I'm 22, as is Caspian. Sue is 21, and Lucy is 17." Peter offered, smiling brightly.

"Uh, cool." Alice's word drew much confusion from the kings and queens.

"Cool?" Susan inquired, not understanding the use of the word.

"It sort of means great, I guess?" Alice said, hoping they wouldn't question why it didn't mean cold.

"Oh, cool." Edmund shrugged with a lazy grin, shifting his footing into a slightly more relaxed position.

"Where are you from?" Susan wanted to know.

"I grew up in London but my dad just moved us to Devon." Alice's voice grew slightly sadder, and slightly colder.

"What year was it?" Lucy was practically jumping with excitement.

"2017." Alice shrugged to her wide-eyed relatives.

"Who won the war?" Edmund said in almost a whisper, a haunted look in his eyes.

"The allies, Britain, France and that lot." Alice gave him a (hopefully) reassuring smile.

"What's your favourite colour?" Lucy interrupted, changing the topic happily.

"Emerald. Wha-" The random question startled Alice.

"How do you feel about dresses?" Lucy probed slyly, already thinking she could dress Alice up (Lucy thought Alice's clothes truly were odd).

"Depends on the dress, I guess." Alice felt she was continuously shrugging.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Lucy asked with a cheeky grin.

Alice had to stop herself snorting at the prospect of anyone finding her attractive. "Nah." She said with an eye roll.

"What important things did we miss?" Peter requested the update.

Alice thought before she started listing things: "Women's equal rights, USA civil rights movement, same sex marriage legalisation, Brexit-"

"What's a Brexit?" Lucy interrupted, her mouth stumbling over the word.

"We had a vote and chose to leave the EU." Alice explained bluntly.

"Idiots. That's a financial, military, and political loss." Edmund scorned, his nose wrinkling slightly.

"Pretty much, yeah." Alice said flippantly. "You missed loads of great literature, art, music, and dance as well."

"What about-" Lucy began again.

"How about we head back to Cair Paravel? It is getting dark." Peter interrupted, looking up at the sky.

"Care what?" Alice asked.

"Cair Paravel. It's our home." Susan explained, with a kind smile.

"It sounds pretty." Alice offered with a small smile, as Peter led her to a black horse. Alice eyed the creature dubiously.

"Do you know how to ride?" Edmund asked with mild concern.

Alice wrinkled her nose, arms crossed tightly around her. "No." She inched away as the horse flicked his head towards her.

Peter took her hand and led her to the left side of the horse, "You can ride with me." He gave a reassuring grin, "Don't worry, I'll give you a leg up." With that he all but tossed her onto the pony, before leaping up himself. "I won't let you fall." He calmed her. Then the five royals set their horses into a trot, heading for home.


End file.
